Marketing trends to budget for in 2019

Tools and tips to transform your business

It’s not uncommon for businesses to apply the spaghetti noodle test with their marketing — throwing ideas at the wall to see what will stick. This also is the most common way to waste time, money and resources for little return. We scoured our favorite marketing resources and gurus for information on 2019 marketing trends that will stick. Here’s what we found.

However, paid advertising still has its role to play in marketing. Because people are no longer committed to single-source platforms, only using pay per click Google Ads or Facebook ads may is not as effective as it once was.

The question is: How do you create ads that offer value for your audience? The content and message of your ads are critical to its performance. The content (including headlines and descriptions) should also take into account the different marketing channels (social media, Google, email) and devices.

Garner the Most Engagement with Videos

It’s no surprise that engaging content ranks No. 1 on marketing professionals’ list of 2019 to-dos. But what type of content tops the list? Videos.

Users want a break from written text with videos that are easily digestible and often entertaining. Videos also must be convenient for the user — easy to share with the ability to post on many platforms and channels.

What type of videos will resonate the most with your audience? They could be educational, interviews, an emotional connection, demo videos and product reviews. According to Vimeo, 80% of users would rather watch live video from a brand than read a blog, and 82% prefer live video from a brand to social posts. Live videos tend to have a down-to-earth quality that is spontaneous and authentic.

Digital tools the experts use!

Get a leg up with your marketing in 2019 with these top website marketing tools with pro tips from the experts.

Search Engine Optimization Isn’t What It Used to Be

If a digital marketing agency promises page 1 in Google search results, it’s OK to laugh. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a moving target with ever-changing algorithms. However, SEO should still be part of a holistic digital marketing strategy to capture that coveted organic search traffic your website needs to succeed.

Enter semantic SEO — meaningful content that serves up information your users really need, not a simple query. How many times have you asked Siri, “What is the best restaurant near me?” Or have you ever asked Alexa, “Where’s my stuff?” or “What is the news today?” Voice search has grown 35 times since 2008 and 41% of adults (and 55% of teens) use voice search daily.

The Rise of the Micro-Influencers

The days of paying social media influencers hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, are coming to an end. Brand strategists have quickly caught on that while the audience of large social media influencers might be enormous, these hordes of followers are unlikely to engage with a particular brand let alone become customers. Major influencers are notorious for purchasing fake followers and fake engagement.

Marketing Automation Saves Time and Money

Lift the administrative burden of your staff by implementing marketing automation software, technology which can set repetitive marketing actions in motion so you don’t have to manually apply them. Marketing automation has seen the fastest growth of any Customer Relationship Management (CRM)-related segment in the last 5 years. By 2020, customers will manage 85% of their relationship without talking to a human.

All-in-one marketing automation platforms such as Hubspot contain customer CRM, email marketing, social media, chatbot and lead-generating analytics. It organizes the data their prospects share, then uses that data to provide those prospects with the right content and the right interactions at the right time to help close sales.

The ideal marketing automation means the customer gets a simpler, more consultative sales process, and the business gets a more efficient and more affordable sales process that results in better customers.